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Geology > Chapter 9 > Flashcards

Chapter 9 Flashcards

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1
Q

where is the most of the world’s freshwater found

A

glaciers

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2
Q

which nation uses the most amount of water per day

A

the US

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3
Q

what percent of water covers Earth’s surface

A

70%

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4
Q

what percent of water on Earth is saltwarer

A

97%

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5
Q

examples of surface water

A

ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, oceans

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6
Q

what are the 2 types of water sources

A

groundwater and surface water

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7
Q

which water source provides the most water

A

groundwater

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8
Q

what are the 3 problems associated with groundwater extractions

A
  1. sinkholes
  2. saltwater intrusion
  3. depletion
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9
Q

what percentage of the US irrigation is microirrigation

A

3%

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10
Q

is Earth’s freshwater even distributed

A

nope

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11
Q

T/F: water shrinks when it freezes

A

false it expands

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12
Q

T/F: waters’ specific heat is higher than most other liquids

A

true, its’ higher than any other liquid except ammonia

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13
Q

T/F: water is not a good solvent

A

false, it is actually better than any other common liquid, which is why it can dissolve lots of different substances and explains how water can become polluted so easily

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14
Q

what causes the unusual properties of water

A

the bipolar distribution of the electric charge on the neutral molecule contribute to its peculiar properties

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15
Q

T/F: All of Earth’s water is directly useful

A

false because it is either salty or inaccessible

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16
Q

what powers the hydrological cycle

A

solar power

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17
Q

what are the 2 main processes in the hydrological cycle

A
  1. evapotranspiration
  2. precipitation
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18
Q

what is evapotranspiration

A

the transfer of water into the atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration

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19
Q

What speed does water move through the hydrological cycle

A

water moves are various speeds
(40k years to recycle seawater, 2 weeks for river water, 9-10 days for atmospheric water)

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20
Q

What is the difference between withdrawn water and consumed water

A

withdrawn water is water that is taken, used, and maybe returns to its original source, whereas consumed water is a type of withdrawn water that may not be returned to its original source

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21
Q

an example of withdrawn water

A

a power plant borrowing water from a nearby river to cool generators, then returning that water back to the river

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22
Q

which sector is the greatest for withdrawing water

A

industry

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23
Q

which sector is the greatest for consuming water

A

agriculture

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24
Q

what are deficit areas

A

Deficit areas receive less precipitation
than is needed by established vegetation and organisms

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25
what are surplus areas
surplus areas receive more precipitation than is needed by established vegetation and organisms
26
T/F: surface waters include flowing and basinal waters
true: flowing waters - streams, rivers basinal waters - ponds, and lakes
27
what is discharge
the volume of water carried in a stream channel
28
what is the relationship between discharge and channel sizes
discharge increases with the size of the channel
29
what led to the passage of Clean Water Act of 1970s
pollution
30
where is the majority of accessible freshwater located?
groundwater (water beneath the Earth's surface)
31
what forms the water table
the precipitation infiltrating through the soil and rock to become groundwater
32
what is an aquifer
an area with permeable rock, like sandstone or gravel, containing the zone of saturation
33
what is another name for the unsaturated zone
vadose zone or zone of aeration
34
what is another name for the saturated zone
phreatic zone
35
where is groundwater
in the saturated zone
36
where is subsurface water
unsaturated and saturated zone (aka the unconfined aquifer)
37
what is an aquitard
an impermeable layer that halts water infiltration
38
what is recharge
water moving into an aquifer
39
what controls the behavior of groundwater
geology and geometry of rocks & sediments
40
what is an unconfined aquifer
an aquifer without an aquitard above it
41
what is a confined aquifer
an aquifer with an aquitard above and below
42
when does an artesian system form
when the hydrostatic water pressure increases in a confined aquifer
43
what is the height that water rises to in an artesian system called
the potentiometric surface
44
the fountain like squirt from the artesian system is called
the artesian well
45
what is the potential energy in an aquifer
hydraulic head
46
what reflects the hydraulic head in an unconfined aquifer
the height of the water
47
what is the relationship between the water table and the hydraulic head
the higher the water table, the higher the head
48
what is the relationship between the potentiometric surface and the hydraulic head
the higher the potentiometric surface in a confined aquifer, the higher the hydraulic head
49
which way does groundwater flow in relation to hydraulic heads
flow from areas of high hydraulic head to areas with low hydraulic head
50
what are the 2 kinds of problems that reduce groundwater's utility
1. discharge problems 2. withdrawal problems
51
what can discharge problems lead to
groundwater pollution
52
what is the issue with groundwater pollution
metals, organics, and toxins trapped in groundwater are long-term problems
53
what are the 3 problems withdrawal can lead to
1. depletion 2. land subsidence 3. saltwater intrusion
54
what is considered to be the greatest water pollution problem for the future
groundwater pollution
55
what causes withdrawal problems
the removal of groundwater from aquifers
56
what is depletion in the sense of withdrawal problems
water is removed faster than it can be replenished
57
what is land subsidence in the sense of withdrawal problems
sink holes occur where the groundwater table falls
58
what are the "kidneys" of the hydrological cycle and why are they considered to be the "kidneys"
wetlands are considered to be the "kidneys" because they are major recharge areas as they retain water for long period of time, purifying it and allowing it to infiltrate the aquifer
59
where are recharge times the longest
in areas with lower rainfall, like deserts
60
what is groundwater in desert-like areas called and why?
"fossil water" because the water was deposited there many years ago when the climate was wetter in that area and due to its age the water quality is poor and is likely highly saline
61
what is saltwater intrusion
salt water normally at the bottom of groundwater is brought up through freshwater layer if it is pumped too fast
62
what can cause a cone of depression
overpumping
63
what is a cone of depression
the localized lowering of the water table around a well from which water is being withdrawn faster than it is replenished
64
T/F: land subsidence is more localized than aquifer depletion
true
64
what is a type of land subsidence
sink holes
65
what is it to be considered "water scarce"
to be a nation with less than 1000 cubic meters of water supplies per person per year
66
what is it to be considered "water stressed"
to be a nation with 1000 - 1700 cubic meters of water supplies per person per year
67
3 solutions to address the water shortages
1. increasing efficiency of use 2. recycling by reusing wastewater 3. substitution by using salt water (4. increasing water resources)
68
how can we increase efficiency of the use of water
microirrigation (transporting water to crops via pipes)
69
T/F: microirrigation can save 300% of water previously used
true!!
70
how we reuse wastewater
improving technology and consume education
71
how can we start using salt water
process like desalination can remove salt particles from salt water making it into freshwater
72
how do we increase our water resources
shifting water from one region to another via dams and reservoirs or canals and pipelines
73
why isn't increasing our water resources the best idea
1. when building dams and reservoirs environmental impacts must be considered 2. building canals and pipelines can lead to litigation in areas like CA or habitat destruction and pollution as seen in FL
74
how to help with the water shortage at home
1. microirrigation for agriculture -> drip systems for home gardening 2. individual lifestyle conservation -> shorter showers -> low-fish toilets 3. wastewater reclamation -> closed loop reclamation -> graywater use
75
why should we consider wastewater reclamation
1. wastewater can be safe to drink if treated properly 2. graywater can be used for water needs other than drinking 3. it is cheaper to treat wastewater than to desalinate salt water
76
2 ways to desalinate water
1. membrane (reverse osmosis) 2. distillation methods
77
what is the membrane method
when you pass the salt water through a membrane at high pressures and salt particles shouldn't be able to pass through the membrane
78
what is the distillation method
heat the saltwater to cause the evaporation of the water and leaves behind its salt particles
79
downside of dams
- sediment accumulation - downstream scouring - water loss from evaporation - salination from evaporation - dam break could lead to catastrophes - biological disturbances - social disturbances
80
legal solutions to surface water use
1. Riparian water law 2. Appropriation water law
81
what does the Riparian water law do
dictates that all landowners adjacent to the land, such as from a river or a bank, then they can withdraw that water (and is mainly practiced east of the Mississippi River)
82
what does the appropriation water law state
"first in time, first in line" and is applied west of the Mississippi river
83
why don't farmers conserve water during irrigation
the government heavily subsidizes the cost of water
84
why to coastal climates have less extreme temperature variations than other non-costal climates
since water's specific heat is high, it makes it so water takes a long time to absorb and release the heat making the temperature NOT vary as much in coastal climates since they are around large bodies of water
85
how much of Earth's freshwater is readily available in the liquid state
0.6%
86
what are effluent charges
the cost of disposing industrial wastewater
87
why is it more difficult to monitor groundwater
because groundwater moves much more slowly therefore making depletion and pollution take years to detect and remedy
88
which is easier to regulate: groundwater depletion or groundwater pollution
groundwater depletion is easier to regulate
89
when is it better to use economic solutions
when there are a lot of parties involved
90
when is it better to use legal solutions
when there is a small number of parties that use that resource

Geology (7 decks)

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